We Are Born
by ShippingForDays
Summary: As the monsters finally are set free underground, Frisk ushers in a new era of relations in the modern world. Asriel also enters the fray once more as he is revived through lucky happenstance. Despite best efforts, the monsters and Frisk are met by enemies who harshly vocalize their opinions. Along the way, society evolves to a state never observed before, by monsters nor humans.
1. Chapter I: Next Lifetime

"All of your souls are mine!"

Flowey held the souls of Frisk's dearest companions aloft in his tendrils as she looked on in utter horror. Slowly, the souls dragged towards the flower's body as he laughed, a vicious light in his eye as he looked upon Frisk with intense ire. Out of the corner of her eye, Frisk could see the six human souls that previously entered the underground ascend towards Flowey as well. Within a moment, he absorbed all the souls into his very root and a brilliant flash of light exploded from him, completely enveloping the foyer.

After all the light cleared, and Frisk's eyes stopped being overwhelmed by the high amount of stimuli, she noticed that she could no longer see Flowey's body, as she had seen previously. Frantically, she moved her eyes all across the room, scanning it for Flowey or anything else. Finally, as she looked up, frozen in fear, she could see the descending figure of...

"Finally. I was so tired of being a flower."

Frisk stood, completely baffled, as the dead son of Asgore Dreemurr and Toriel loomed over her. He was a little shorter than her, smiling gently as he opened his crimson eyes and gazed at her visage. Soon, a look of bewilderment appeared on his face as he stared, but it was soon replaced by a warm grin. He walked forward, opening his mouth.

"Howdy! Chara, are you there? It's me, your best friend."

After a moment, Asriel's boyish frame began to morph and change. His body ascended into the air as his legs elongated, his horns grew longer, and dark ley-lines gradually began to spread across his skin and fur. Seemingly out of nowhere, Asriel's now adult-like form donned a black and white robe emblazoned with the Delta Rune. Epaulettes and a high collar hung over his robe, giving him an air of grandeur that intimidated Frisk to no end. Her brown eyes stared into the abyss that was Asriel, too awestruck to make any sort of meaningful action.

A prismatic light emanated over the foyer as Asriel held his arms up and gestured towards the sky. Soon thereafter, giant stars fell from the ceiling of the room, rainbow tails following their flight paths. The stars stopped in midair, which gave ample time for Frisk to stare up and marvel at the phenomenon before her. She was completely amazed, although it all ended with a snap from one of Asriel's hands. Stars began to explode, and their fragments descended to the ground at incredible speeds. Frisk noticed and frantically ran across the foyer, desperately trying to avoid the falling shrapnel poised to destroy her. She successfully evaded most, but a few grazed her skin in her attempt to get out of the way, casing small cuts which stung intensely.

Asriel gazed at the struggling Frisk and grinned wickedly.

"You know... I don't care about destroying this world anymore." His faced turned stern as he held his hands out in waiting for another attack.

Almost instantaneously, bolts of prismatic lightning extended from the ceiling to the floor, nearly annihilating Frisk, who jumped out of the way just in time to notice the next ones. Her feet moved quickly to ferry her around from place to place, evading the lightning expertly with a locomotion reminiscent of an antelope running from a hunting lion.

The caprine before her scowled at her quickness, eyeing her menacingly as he descended upon to the floor, where Frisk stood in terror.

"After I defeat you and gain total control of the timeline... I just want to reset everything." Asriel reaches into his sleeves and pulled out twin sabers. He angled them towards Frisk's form and prepared to attack.

Asriel swiped at Frisk with his right blade, the human just barely missing the tip of the blade. However, he did not stop his assault. One after one, a volley of slices from the sabers came after Frisk, who was deftly avoiding each strike in a dance-like fashion. She just had reached one of the walls of the foyer when Asriel stopped his pursuit, cocking his head toward the ceiling above them. Frisk stared at him, puzzled. However, she only realized her mistake as the caprine lunged at the off-guard girl. In a frenzied attempt to avoid the weapon hitting her vital organs, Frisk turned her shoulder towards the blade while backing away. This resulted in a large gash appearing on the middle of her upper arm. The wound stung intensely while the maroon of her blood spilled over her clothing. She stared her brown eyes back at Asriel, wary of any more strikes. Instead, he just stood there and dissolved his sabers into the ether around him. Menacingly, Asriel stared back at her, smirking slightly as he caught sight of her stinging flesh.

"All your progress... Everyone's memories. I'll bring them all back to zero!" Asriel yelled, his voice crackling with a fury he had not shown previously. Firming his stance, the caprine called upon another flurry of lighting to befall the battlefield.

Frisk began to run once more. Despite her wound, she showed a new determination in her face, never breaking eye contact with her adversary. Through the lightning, Frisk saw Asriel readying a flame in his hand, poised to deliver it unto her. After a few moments of preparation, he shot a fireball right at the frantic Frisk, who jumped to avoid both it and an incoming tendril of lightning. Pain ensued shortly after, as the girl could feel an intense burn on her leg.

"Then we can do this ALL over again." Asriel remarked zealously, his expression becoming even more stern than it had been just moments ago. Once again, he snapped his fingers, calling upon another onslaught of stars to fall from the air high above him.

At this point, Frisk no longer had the energy to evade every single stray star coming her way. Dodging her way through most of them, a few prismatic projectiles sliced their way through Frisk's clothing and skin, rending both sweater and flesh as new cuts appeared on her torso and face. Frisk's face flushed with the heat of the blood pouring over her body. By now, the girl was a good four yards from Asriel, whose attacks had somehow circled back around to her direct front. Luckily for him, this would make his next attack much more likely to damage her.

"And you know what the best part of all of this is? You'll DO it." Asriel spat, a vindictive look encapsulating his whole face. Frisk winced. Inside, he knew he was right, but she knew she did't want to be the tool to his little game. She was determined to save her friends.

A blaster appeared beside Asriel's form as Frisk stared at him, a stalwart barrier in the face of his opposition. Beams began to shoot out of the blaster, whizzing past Frisk's frame as she tried her hardest to avoid his onslaught. Now encumbered by the pain of her wounds and a tremendous amount of fatigue, Frisk struggled to avoid the attacks, being grazed many a time by a beam she was a second too late to avoid. More cuts filled her flesh as she came back to Asriel's front, still defiant in her approach.

Now, Asriel had become both annoyed and intrigued by the girl's persistence. Despite his never-ending attacks, she still stood to face him. He contorted his face into a grimace and breathed, "And then you'll lose to me again."

Swooping towards Frisk, the caprine once again summoned his sabers, wildly slicing at her in an attempt to end the battle more quickly. The two speedily engaged in a dance of death, Frisk ever wary of Asriel's blades as they whirred past her body. Asriel became angry, snarling while calling upon another attack.

"And again."

Once more, he summoned his blaster, firing at the unwitting Frisk with an immutable fury. Still, she kept evading to the best of her ability, dragging her partner further down into this abyss of anger.

"AND AGAIN!"

Asriel yelled as he called upon more lightning, his voice hoarse with exasperation. The strokes seemed to be coming down faster and in larger numbers, making Frisk stumble and travail to get through the onslaught. Blood seeped out of her body, striated by the aggressive lightning before her.

The caprine's eyes filled with enmity, red pools glaring into brown. His vicious stare peered into the very soul of Frisk, sensing the tiredness and pain spreading throughout her body. Judgingly, he croaked, "Because you want a 'happy ending'."

Raising his hand, for the umpteenth time, he called upon Prismatic stars to fall to the ground. However, they twisted in a path previously unseen during the duration of the battle. Swerving out of the way, Frisk ran from the stars, a look of complete panic gracing her face.

"Because you 'love your friends'."

Suddenly, Frisk felt the slice of a saber upon her hip, Asriel mercilessly rending her flesh. She fell under her own weight, her leg now unable to support her. Asriel smiled slightly as she fell to the ground.

"Because you 'never give up'."

Various beams spilled out of Asriel's blaster, Frisk thrashing about on the ground in an attempt to avoid them. Surprisingly, she did, but a final volley of beams sliced across her chest, nearly incapacitating her right at that moment.

"Isn't that delicious? Your 'determination'. The power that helped you get this far... It's gonna be your downfall!"

A crazed look crawled upon Asriel's face as he reached up towards the ceiling of the foyer, calling upon a final swath of prismatic lighting to fall upon the girl before him. Now unable to move, all Frisk could do was let out a bloodcurdling scream as the full brunt of the hot plasma flowed through her body. Intense burns and blood coated her body as she lay on the floor, facing up towards the looming figure at her side. Even still, her face bore an expression of determination as she faced him, despite her intense pain.

"Now, ENOUGH messing around! It's time to purge this timeline once and for all!"

A giant skull appeared beside Asriel's form, completely enveloping Frisk with its shadow. Slowly, the skull started to spew out octahedra that flew into Frisk. However, she could feel them tearing not her body, but her soul. Over a short period of time, Frisk slowly felt all of the excruciating detail of her soul's annihilation. As the last bit faded into air, her body collapsed fully onto the ground, losing any modicum of control she previously had.

Frisk felt an all-encompassing blackness as she gradually disassociated from her form, experiencing a strange peace that lulled her further into the void of death. However, in her chest, she felt a pulsing sensation drawing her from the peaceful realm where she currently resided. Seeing parts of her soul come together as they gathered outside her perception, she could feel all her hopes and dreams come back to her. Slowly, her soul coalesced back into the cardiac form it was accustomed to, inching back into the cavity in her chest. Frisk closed her eyes as she exited the eternal void, a renewed look of determination on her face.

Back in the foyer, Asriel was breathing deeply as he gazed upon Frisk's lifeless body, finally triumphant in his goal. He called out to the souls currently residing within his body, eagerly awaiting the reset of the timeline. In due time, however, Frisk opened her eyes, a pale pink light shining from her solar plexus. The various cuts and dried blood dissipated as she stood up, facing Asriel with the same intensity as before her falling. Asriel's face bore a look of complete and utter shock, his mouth slightly agape with stupor.

Concentrating on his resolve, Asriel drew upon enough strength to break free of his consternation and step forward. He stared down at Frisk, glaring at her with a cataclysmic intensity.

"...Even after that attack, you're still standing in my way...? Wow... you really ARE something special. But don't get cocky. Up until now, I've only been using a fraction of my REAL power! Let's see what good your _determination _is against THIS!"

Light engulfed the foyer as Asriel's form ascended into the air, curling into the fetal position. After a few moments passed, wings sprouted right at his shoulder blades, flexing towards the sky as he unfurled his body. Immediately, he began to transform into a grotesque monster, his snout and teeth elongating as his torso twisted into a gruesome spike. His horns pierced the surrounding air as he contorted even more, forming an almost perfect triangle with his being. Frisk's jaw hung low with utter shock, beholden to the sheer terror of his form.

Asriel smiled cruelly at Frisk, saying, "Urah ha ha... Behold my TRUE power!"

A barrage of comets fell down from the ceiling of the foyer and began to encumber Frisk with their mere presence. Presently, the only thing she could do was struggle and swerve out of the way of as many as she could. Asriel was currently cackling with a sadistic glee that echoed within the limited space of the room. However, she tripped on a stray fragment of a meteorite, causing another comet to befall on her head and... Crack! She felt her skull break as she faded out of life. Her soul began to float away from her body, but, against all odds, came back together for the second time as a testament to the strength of her will. Now, coated in more blood and grime than before, Frisk defiantly stood in front of her assailant.

"I can feel it... Every time you die, your grip on this world slips away. Every time you die, your friends forget you a little more. Your life will end here, in a world where no one remembers you..." Asriel taunted, seeing Frisk stand before him. She merely smirked and tilted her head wearily at the behemoth before her, eagerly awaiting the coming onslaught.

This cycle repeated quite a few times until Asriel finally snapped and yelled with a primal aggression previously unbeknownst to either of them. The caprine was left heated and furious, Frisk still remaining ever firm in her quest to stand against Asriel.

"Still, you're hanging on...? That's fine. In a few moments, you'll forget everything, too. That attitude will serve you well in your next life!"

Again, it repeated, Frisk as complacent and resistant as she had always been.

"Ura ha ha... Still!? Come on... Show me what good your determination is now!"

Now, as Asriel was summoning an even more outrageous onslaught of comets poised to destroy Frisk, she could see the souls of her friends struggling in the core of his twisted form. Realizing her opportunity, she edged her way to his body, deftly avoiding the coming rocks with a swift style. Upon reaching Asriel's body, she placed her hand on the heart emblem upon his lower abdomen.

"Huh? What are you doing...?" Asriel demanded as she stayed, her eyes laser-focused on his body.

Frisk could feel the essence of her friends calling out to her from within the body of Asriel. Carefully, she laid her head against his abdomen, humming a little tune and words of encouragement as she stood. Asriel could only stare in a complete stupor as he felt some of the power drain from his body. A light aura surrounded Frisk as she once again regained her rebellious stance in front of her assailant. He grimaced and stared at her with furious intensity, virtually stabbing her with his gaze.

"Wh... What did you do? What's this feeling? What's happening to me?" Asriel demanded as his tone became even more malignant with each moment he spoke. Conspicuously, Frisk only smile back. "No, NO! I don't need ANYONE!"

With tears beginning to streak down his face, Frisk started her approach, her arms extended out into a position ready to embrace the ailing caprine. Despite this, he only backed away, caught in his own grief.

"STOP IT! Get away from me! Do you hear me!? I'll tear you apart!" Asriel screamed, his voice cracking with an intense pang of sorrow.

"...Chara... Do you know why I'm doing this?" The caprine hurled some fireballs towards the human within his view, but he cared not to aim. They harmlessly bounced to the side, dissipating within a flash. "Why I keep fighting to keep you around? I'm doing this... Because you're special, Chara. You're the only one that understands me. You're the only one whose any fun to play with anymore.

Asriel clutched his head and yelled in exasperation. More hot tears fell to the ground as the girl near to him came closer.

"...No... That's not _just_ it. I... I... I'm doing this because I care about you, Chara! I care about you more than anybody else! I'm not ready for this to end. I'm not ready for you to leave. I'm not ready to say goodbye to someone like you again..."

Asriel finally raised his head up, his arms poised in an attacking position. His eyes, filled with tears, gazed at the girl before him, betraying his stance. The girl only toughened as she faced him down, ready for anything about to transpire.

"So, please... Stop doing this... AND JUST LET ME WIN!"

The caprine screamed as he let out a fierce prismatic ray of pure energy towards his adversary. All Frisk could feel was the deep embrace of pain as she tried to close the distance between her and Asriel. Despite the intense agony, she trudged through the beam and once again reached out to her attacker. _I won't fail you,_ she thought. _I have to keep going. I need to help you. Nothing, not even you, will stand in my way_.

"STOP IT!" Asriel put more energy into the blast as he cried out even more. His face was now replete with tears as he closed his eyes and focused on the annihilation of the girl before him. "STOP IT NOW!"

After all that, still, she stood.

"...Chara..."

"I'm so alone, Chara... I'm so afraid, Chara..."

"Chara, I..."

"I..."

* * *

Crying, the massive beast turned back into the vulnerable, timid child he had been all along. Many tears flowed down the face of the poor boy, stunned by the pure grief of all of his misgivings coming back to him as he regained his sense of reality. Frisk could do nothing but look on awkwardly as the boy wept into his hands.

Slowly, he regained composure, wiping his face with the back of his forearm, gently looking at the human before him. A pittance of eye contact was shared between each person, before Asriel looked away, blushing in shame.

"I'm so sorry," Asriel said, squeezing his own arm with a pang of sadness. "I always was a crybaby, wasn't I, Chara?"

The girl before him began to open her mouth, but before she could, he looked back up at her, effectively shutting her up. The caprine smiled slightly, the corners of his mouth folding up in a gentle curve.

"...I know. You're not actually Chara, are you? Chara's been gone for a long time." With a heartfelt look, Frisk began to approach Asriel once more. "Um wh-what _is_ your name?"

A smile came in response. "My name is Frisk." Soon thereafter, a somber mood befell both her and the foyer. "I'm so sorry for everything, Asriel."

A look of shock graced Asriel's face at her knowledge of his name, but knowing she was giving him sympathy for everything that happened prior to his death, he guessed it must be common knowledge at this point.

"'Frisk?' That's... A nice name." Evidently, he had decided not to address her sympathy. Asriel looked back toward the empty blackness of the foyer, then opened his mouth to respond further. "Frisk... I haven't felt like this for a very long time. As a flower, I was soulless. I lacked the power to love other people. However, with everyone's souls inside me, I not only have my own compassion back, but I can feel every other monster's as well. They all care about each other so much, and... They care about you too, Frisk."

The moment lingered for a little while, the feeling of loneliness ringing on his last word. After a while, the girl could see a tear develop in Asriel's eye. Filled with sadness, he still went on, now fully facing Frisk.

"I wish I could tell you how everyone feels about you. Papyrus, Sans, Undyne, Alphys... Toriel." Once again, a steely look of solitude drew across the face of the boy, his voice moistening with sorrow. "Monsters are weird. Even though they barely know you, it feels like they all really love you."

Asriel chuckled quite sadly, his somber expression filling the room with even more pain. Frisk's eyes softened, looking at with an intense pang of guilt.

"Frisk... I... I understand if you cant forgive me. I acted so strange and horrible. I _hurt_ you. I hurt so many people. Friends, family, bystanders... There's no excuse for what I've done."

"It's okay, Asriel. I forgive you... for everything. You deserve it, Asriel."

Asriel gasped slightly at Frisk's statement. His breathing hitched slightly as tears once again approached the floodgates of his eyes.

"Wh-what? ...Frisk, come on." He sniffled as he looked at her appreciatively, the red of his eyes melting her heart. "You're.. you're gonna make me cry again."

Making a fist, Asriel looked off into the distance, taking a deep breath as his body began to light up.

"Besides... Even if you do forgive me... I can't keep these souls inside of me. The least I can do is return them. But first... There's something I have to do." His feet began to float off the ground slightly as he continued to talk. "Right now, I can feel everyone's hearts beating as one. They're all burning with the same desire. With everyone's power, with everyone's determination... It's time for monsters to finally go free."

Finally, Asriel ascended into the sky, his arms extended in a divine embrace. All at once, Frisk could see millions upon millions of souls escape back into the corporeal realm. They were joined by the six human souls, all floating around Asriel in a circle. They pulsed with a heavenly glow that filled the foyer with a dazzling light, blinding Frisk with its beauty. At the point her vision got completely cancelled out by all of the light, she could hear a mighty crack coming from the very other side of the room, where the illusory barrier stood...

_Once_ stood.

* * *

Descending back to the ground, Asriel stood with his eyes closed, all the souls fluttering away behind him. Frisk only looked at him with a look of awe, completely dumbstruck by his actions. She moved her mouth to try and speak, but no sounds came out, intensifying the shock of the situation. Asriel gave her a melancholy look as she gazed on.

"Frisk... I have to go now. Without the power of everyone's souls, I can't keep maintaining this form. In a little while, I'll turn back into a flower... I'll stop being 'myself.' I'll stop being able to feel love again..."

Only breathing could be heard in the foyer as Frisk waited with sad anticipation.

"So... Frisk, it's best if you just forget about me, okay? Just go with the people who love you."

Frisk held onto her arm in an awkward fashion, her breathing slowing and hitching as she started to sob. Tears flowed down her face as she tried to process what was happening. Asriel averted his gaze, the pain in his heart overwhelming him with sadness. They stayed like that for a moment unsure of what to do.

A moment later, Frisk looked back at the caprine. He engaged int he eye contact, moistness filling the corners of his eyes. Soon, she ran to him and enveloped him in a warm embrace, bringing his head to her shoulder as he released, letting all of the tears he was holding back come back to the forefront of the moment. He wrapped his arms around her, barely holding himself together. Unbeknownst to them, light shone from Frisk's chest, momentarily illuminating the whole foyer...

"I don't want to let go..." Asriel admitted, deepening his hold on Frisk. She only held him closer, sharing the moment.

"I don't either," Frisk said, her voice quiet and shaky from emotion.

A while after, both participants stopped their embrace and looked at each other, rubbing the leftover tears out of their eyes. Asriel took a deep breath before attempting to speak.

"Frisk... You're... You're going to do a great job, okay? No matter what you do, everyone will be there for you, okay? Well... My time is running out. Goodbye," Asriel said, taking another deep breath. "By the way, Frisk... Take care of Mom and Dad for me, okay?"

She had no opportunity to answer before everything faded to white.

* * *

"Are you okay, my child?"

"hey kid. get up, will ya?"

"WHAT'S WRONG, TINY HUMAN?"

"C'mon, punk! You got more than that, don't you?"

"F-frisk, y-you can do it!"

"I'm sorry, my child. I believe in you!"

Slowly, Frisk opened her eyes only to see all of her friends surrounding her. Immediately she stood up and scanned her surroundings, looking for the one person she couldn't see. After a moment of odd looks and failure to locate the one she was looking for, Frisk relented and started to hug everyone.

"You had us so worried, my child." Toriel said, Frisk in her arms. Everyone began chattering with excitement upon her waking.

Frisk stepped back after a while, looking at everyone surrounding her. She smiled, happy with how they looked, evidently overjoyed with the opening of the barrier. Upon talking to everyone for a bit, she looked at the end of the foyer, trying to see then sunlight.

"The door to the east is opened. It should take us outside," Asgore pointed out. Slowly, everyone began to approach the door, apprehensive towards their escape from the underground. However, as soon as they stepped outside, everyone was stunned.

Beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows shone through as the sun rose on a new day. All of the monsters and Frisk were absolutely dumbstruck by the beauty of the sun. Many of them shed tears as they realized that they have achieved their long-awaited freedom.

"This is... More than I could have ever imagined," Undyne commented, staring up at the sky with an intense fervor. She walked over to Alphys and put her hand on her shoulder.

"Do you r-really see this every day, Frisk?" Alphys asked, looking at her with a full sense of awe in her eyes.

"Most humans wake up after the sunrise. You guys are lucky," Frisk replied. Alphys shook her head and once again stared back to the sky.

"this is really something, eh, paps?" Sans inquired lazily, looking at his brother with a tired smirk. He was too busy staring to notice his look.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THIS EVERY DAY! IT'S LIKE A DREAM!" Papyrus exclaimed, joy evident in his voice. Frisk giggled a bit, happy that he could enjoy his new life. Meanwhile, both Asgore and Toriel stood together, deep in weary reflection.

"This must have been what he saw, Asgore," Toriel commented. Her gaze appeared distant as she remembered her past.

"If only we could have been here with him," Asgore said. A tear escaped his eye after a moment, wetting his fur with more regrets.

Time passed on as the monsters kept looking at the sky. Frisk sat at the edge of the path, looking down upon the city with a quizzical glare. She took time to reflect, thinking of all the new opportunities she could expose herself to by staying with the monsters. However, more tears threatened to eke out as she remembered Asriel, regretting being unable to help.

Asgore began to approach Frisk, sitting down with her to gaze at the city. "Frisk, I would appreciate it if you would take the position of ambassador to the Humans in order to lead our transition into the outside world. Do not feel pressured to, though. I would gladly do it myself if you do not feel ready." She looked troubled, struggling to find something to say.

"I don't think we should go out just yet," Frisk answered, timidly. Everyone else present looked shocked at her words.

"What do you mean, my child?" Toriel asked, waiting in earnest for her reply. Frisk turned away, thinking for a moment on what to say.

"We need a plan," Frisk finally said. "To make sure they can't seal us away again."

* * *

Somewhere far away, a red-haired girl held a knife aloft as a malicious light entered her body. She chuckled, envisioning her future victims.


	2. Chapter II: Blue Light

Walking back through the threshold of the mighty door that sealed the Monsters from the outside world, Frisk sighed. It felt cold, almost unnatural, to go back in after realizing the salvation they have waited so long for. Nonetheless, everyone decided to stay for a day or two inside Asgore's castle complex to think of a plan. At the moment, the king was already sending a message to the rest of the monsters to have them stay where they are for the moment, until further notice.

A few hours passed before everyone sat at the dining room table for deliberation. Toriel set out a collection of notepads and pens for everyone to take notes on what to do or where to go. Frisk was staring off into space, thinking about a certain someone when she finally realized that they were about to start talking. Quickly, she readjusted herself and came to look at everyone else.

"so, uh, frisk. anything we should know in order to deal with the humans?" Sans asked. The human though for a moment before opening her mouth to answer.

"Well, the main thing you all should know is that humans are frustratingly stubborn. There are many of them who will not change their ways even when presented with evidence that their lifestyle is detrimental to the well-being of themselves and others." Frisk responded. Everyone gave each other quizzical looks, absolutely baffled that they could be so irrational in how they deal with things. "The only thing I do know is that they will change only to protect what they already have or gain things that they covet. Due to this, I think the only thing that would let them agree to us would be to have something to offer them."

Conversation flew off into the room, filling the table with a cacophony of ideas and protest. Frantic scribbles were appearing on the various notepads, but no one seemed to come up with any good ideas.

"H-how are we supposed t-to offer them anything If they took e-everything away from us in the war all th-those years ago? I mean, what do we have that they d-don't?" Alphys stuttered, awkwardly looking towards Asgore.

"Yeah! How dare those bastards think they can take everything from us! If they try to bargain with us, I swear I'll-" Undyne answered angrily. Her verbal assault only stopped when Toriel slammed her fist on the table.

"Watch your language!" Toriel yelled, standing up slightly. Undyne looked to the side, visibly embarrassed by her uncouth behavior. The caprine still had a nasty look on her face when she sat back down. "Although I must say that I have to agree with her sentiment..."

Silence entered the room as each person at the table stared on, still thinking of something they could possibly conjure up as a peace offering. Sans, Asgore, and Frisk all lied motionless as they struggled to think of answers.

"MAYBE THERE COULD BE SOMETHING NON-PHYSICAL WE COULD OFFER?" Papyrus suggested. Immediately, all eyes turned to him as everyone tried to reconsider the angle of the question. If they could maybe teach them something, or bestow an ability...

Asgore cleared his throat to catch the attention of all at the table.

"I recall something my mother once told me about the relations between monsters and humans that we can use to offer when we make contact. However, I must tell you that when we speak to the human leaders, we need to be honest and tell everything that happened while we were in the Underground."

* * *

"frisk, were your eyes always that color?" Sans asked, lazily staring at Frisk from the comfort of the living room couch. The girl contorted her face in confusion, caught off-guard by such a question. She looked to the now-empty dining table, lost in thought.

"Yeah? I'm fairly sure they've always been brown. I don't see how they could change." Frisk replied, a confounded look still upon her face. Sighing, Sans got up from his spot on the couch and walked toward the human. She stepped back slightly, still utterly unaware of what he was asking of her.

"have you looked in a mirror recently?"

"No, why?"

The girl stared quizzically at the skeleton before her. He sighed as he beckoned her to the bathroom for a mirror. "i thought a girl such as you would be attentive as to notice any changes that may have occurred while being in the underground, but apparently not. take a look for yourself, kid."

Slowly, Frisk turned to look at herself in the bathroom. A look of shock appeared on her visage as she gazed into her reflection. Turning back to Sans, she immediately opened her mouth to ask what was going on, but stopped abruptly when he grabbed her wrist and took her to his room. As soon as he got there, he let go of her hand and locked the door. Frisk gazed on in confusion and fear.

"Sans, what the hell is going-"

Her voice came to a stop as she saw the glow come forth in Sans's left eye. Immediately, he raised his hand, summoning various amounts of bones, all poised to strike her. Frisk started to walk back and cover her face as she viewed the skeleton preparing his attack. With an exhale, Sans let the bones fly, soaring through the room as they came to hit... a barrier?

Instead of the absolute oblivion like she expected, Sans's bones were held fast against a translucent barrier that now encompassed her. Her breaths relaxed somewhat as she realized she wasn't in imminent danger, but she still watched intently, unsure if she was being challenged or only tested in some way.

"so it really is true," Sans said, lowering the bones to the ground while the glow in his eye socket dissipated. He took his hand and held it against his chin, seemingly gathering his thoughts.

"I'm going to ask again. What the hell is going on?" Frisk interrogated, eager to get answers. Sighing, the portly skeleton before her came close and looked at her with a serious emotion on his face, or at least as serious as a permanently smiling skeleton can get.

"frisk, I don't think you're completely human."

Taken aback, the girl took a moment to process Sans's words, bringing her hand to her face as she proceeded to think. How could she possibly not be a full human? As far back as she could remember, she never thought that she, or anyone close to her, had any indication of something going on besides just being a normal human being. Then again, it could possibly explain her brown eyes turning a rather vibrant shade of violet...

"listen, kid. i don't know much about this, but the only possible explanation is that your ancestor was the lead magician for the humans in the war."

Frisk was baffled.

"H-how can that even be possible? I-I thought-"

"i _just _said i don't know much about this. we have to go to asgore now to work out the details," Sans said, his iris suddenly reappearing within its socket. Immediately, he opened the door and ran downstairs, searching frantically for Asgore. Sprinting to the living room, he found the King and urged him to come upstairs at once. Sensing the seriousness in his voice, he obliged. Soon, he was met with the confused visage of Frisk staring right at him.

He took her hand and sat her down at the foot of the bed within the room. Gesturing at Sans, who closed the door gently, he sighed and began his discourse.

"Frisk, if I am correct, you are familiar with the seven human magicians who sealed us in the Underground, are you not?" Asgore questioned. Frisk nodded quickly.

"Yes, I believe Toriel told me about it when I stayed with her during my first few moments in the Underground."

"Good." Asgore swallowed and took a deep breath before speaking on. "However, the version she and all other monsters know is not the full truth."

Both Sans and Frisk looked on with a quizzical look after his statement.

"W-what do you mean? That's not why you all were stuck here?" Frisk asked, cocking her eyebrow. All sorts of thoughts ran through her head, questioning the very reality of what she's been told in her adventure.

"No, it is. The falsehood in the story lies within the identity of the human magicians. In fact, the lead magician was not even human. At least... wholly. This lead magician, named Nuadha Shamir, was born to a human father and monster mother around twenty five years before the Great War. He sided with the monsters when the war broke out and rose up to the rank of general under my grandfather in the fight against humans. However, when the monsters lost the war, he was made to take six other human magicians and seal his monster brethren underground."

The girl and the skeleton were looking down at their hands, wondering what other things might have transpired so long ago that they might not be aware of.

"so... what does this have to do with frisk?" Sans questioned. Asgore gave him a tough looked as he opened his mouth to explain once more.

"Well, he has everything to do with Frisk. You see, across both monsters and humans, almost eye colors have been observed many times over. But not violet. Violet eyes were known to be exclusive to the Shamir clan of monsters, signaling a unique type of magic they possess that reacts to their emotions; fear, anger, love, and the like. This means that one of Frisk's ancestors was Nuadha, and her monster trait was revived upon contacted with us. However, if this is true... we are likely to see many more humans like her if we stay on the surface."

Frisk was puzzled by his statement. "What do you mean, more humans like me? Are you telling me that there were more people like Nuadha born into the world?"

Asgore nodded emphatically. "Yes. People like him, called the cambion, were rather common when humans and monsters lived together. Many of the cambion sided with the humans during the war and were granted the ability to stay on the surface. Evidently, this means that there will be a significant number of modern humans with monster ancestors. I know not how this will affect matters going forward, but if your example is anything to go by, there are bound to be many humans with... rather unique features due to their exposure to monsters, as long as we are allowed to stay, of course."

Sans put his skeletal hand on his skull and rubbed his forehead, imbibing all of the information. "if we consider that, there are bound to be a lot of conflict. it's going to be difficult moving forward without inciting another war of huge proportions."

"That certainly would be true, Sans." Asgore agreed.

Frisk took a deep breath and cleared her mind. "Well, we should stick to our truths, then."

* * *

Frisk lay awake in her bed, unable to fall asleep. Too many thoughts whirred around in her head for her to even think about getting adequate rest, never mind all the qualms that came with leading monsters back to the surface. Most of all, she thought of the one person she believed should have been here above all: Asriel Dreemurr.

The little bit she saw of him, she was able to realize the pure tragedy in his death and inability to escape the underground. Desperately, Frisk wanted to find a way to save him and let him stay with everyone on the surface like he had planned so long ago with Chara.

_"He's gone. There's no way you could save him. All that's left is that stupid flower." _Frisk thought to herself. She hated the way she felt helpless about this. The agency she had the whole time in the Underground was just gone, she believed. Turning around, Frisk buried her head into her pillow, screaming as loud as she could.

Hopeless as she might be, Frisk still felt a deep compulsion to check one last time if she could find Asriel and help bring him back up to the surface. Her arms and legs felt restless against the mattress, driven with a strong need to move, to locate the one that would allay her fears. Her mind and body staged a relentless battle against the other in a desperate effort to stay put. Finally, her mind won out and Frisk jumped out of the bed, ready to run all the way to the ruins.

However, before that, she knew that she must explain why she left. Taking a piece of paper from the filing cabinet within the room, she began to write a detailed explanation of why she will be gone. Furiously scribbling her thoughts on the paper, Frisk completed her sentence and rushed downstairs. Determined to find Asriel, she ran out the door of the palace.

* * *

Asriel walked around the patch of flowers he first fell in when he died from his encounter with the humans many years ago, in disbelief of his current situation. To say he hated this patch of flowers would be a massive understatement. The yellow primroses and chrysanthemums which had caught his fall symbolized the very bane of his existence. For years, he was one, ruminating in all of the grief and hatred left over from his time as well... him. He despised everything that had happened when that accursed flower roamed across the underground. It made him sick.

Yet, new flowers still bloomed in spite of this intense hatred. Yellow zinnias and marigolds joined the primroses and chrysanthemums in the patch, brightening it up somewhat. However, they were all still yellow, as if mocking him of his turbulent past. The little patch had spread far and wide, now all across the sunlit cavern that hailed the entrance to the Underground.

Seeing a glint of silver, Asriel ran over to one of the corners of the room. It turned out to be a a watering pail, most likely left over from either of his parents watering the flowers. Taking it in his hand, Asriel walked over to a nearby pond, filling the pail with water. He walked back over to the patch and began to gingerly water the flowers, making sure to be mindful of how much he poured at one time.

Walking around, Asriel started to think about his condition. It was any moment now that he was bound to turn back into that accursed flower. Even the thought of it made him shudder. Despite this, he could not take his mind off of it. The feeling of impending doom startled him, but it was slightly displaced by the earlier events. Ever since his parting from Frisk, he had felt different. Not just in that he was finally a monster again, no, but in the way that he felt a sense of wholeness.

_"That's impossible," _He thought. There was no possible way he could have a soul again. After all, he freed all of the souls within him to break the barrier. To put it simply , any notion that it was different was pure folly. Knowing this, he was crestfallen. Although he acknowledged that feeling he got from his meeting with Frisk, in his heart, he knew that any hope that he could live on was too good to be true. Quickly, he finished watering the plants and sat down on the ground.

Asriel felt entirely and utterly alone. Sitting alongside the flowers, tears began to flow from his eyes. Warm streaks appeared across his fur as he cried, hitching his breath as emotion flowed through his body. It felt quite disheartening, yet he still felt a bit relieved. No one here to see him, no expectations to meet, no reminders of his past, he finally felt somewhat free to express his grief.

A few moments later, Asriel's tears stooped and he wiped them away from his eyes. Looking in front of him afterwards, something peculiar caught his attention. Standing up, he approached it a far alcove of the room and discovered that it was a small gorse bush and a single blue violet. Somehow, seeing this gave him a sense of satisfaction, against all odds. Smiling, he lay down next to the bush, his mind soothed.

* * *

_ Dear everyone,_

_There is something I must do before we all go up to the surface and join the humans. I might not be able to return for a few days, but know that I will do whatever it takes to come back and make the most of everything. I love you all, and I hope that I can make everyone happy when we go to the surface. Everyone._

_Sincerely, Frisk_

The whole room was in a stupor at Frisk's letter. What could she possibly mean by making everyone happy? Who else was there? Certainly, she was out of her mind, maybe even traumatized from what has happened in the underground. Nevertheless, everyone agreed that they must guarantee her safety.

"I will not let another child slip away from me. Not after all this time, I can't." Toriel stated gloomily. Everyone else was still stunned, hovering around the letter and struggling to come up with something to say.

"The nerve of that punk. Doesn't she know we all care about her?" Undyne yelled, her hand forming into a fist. Alphys shuffled next to her, grasping her hand and bringing it down to her waist.

"She does know. I-I'm sure whatever she is doing, she'll surely come back." Alphys crooned. She sighed as she recalled the possibility that she may not know what she's doing. Anxiety sprang forth within her as she considered other scenarios. An awkward silence punctuated the room as everyone still struggled to speak.

"We must search for her," Asgore stated, breaking the silence. The others looked at each other, desperate for someone to suggest a supplement to the plan.

"I, THE MIGHTY PAPYRUS, WILL GO AND RECOVER THE HUMAN!" Papyrus exclaimed. Despite his tone of voice, his face still displayed a good measure of concern. Sans looked as his younger brother and thought for a moment.

Resolve filled the skeleton as the crowd stared at them both. "don't worry, paps, i'll take care of this." Sans stated. Papyrus opened his mouth, as if to protest, but closed it promptly as he considered Sans's tone of voice.

"FINE, SANS. PROMISE ME YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL."

A black void suddenly appeared in the doorway, Sans sauntering towards it. "i will, paps. see ya in a bit."

* * *

Elsewhere, a red-haired person met with a tall raven-haired woman in an abandoned warehouse. She smiled as they talked, eager for what was ahead.


End file.
